Aeroplane attachment



NOV. 8, 1932. GROBLING 1,886,673

AEROPLANE ATTACHMENT QFiled Oct. 7, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. (7679)? 64022227 ATTORNEY.

1932- J. GROBLING AEROPLANE ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 7. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R 'Y Z m W IA Patented Nov. 8, 1932 PATENT ,FFECE JOHN GROBLING} 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN AEROPLANE ATTACHMENT Application filed October 7, 1931.

This invention relates to improvements in aeroplane attachments. It is an object of the invention to provide an aeroplane attachment which may be put to several different uses, as for instance To increase the lifting power of a plane and assisting it to rise sooner from the ground; to afford additional safety and to maintain a ship in the air after failure of the motor by which the propeller is rotated; to enable a plane to descend at a greater angle and at a lower speed; and-to permit a. plane'to be operated at a materially reduced speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an aeroplane attachment which is relatively cheap and simple to manufacture, wherein a rotary plate is furnished having a set of blades extending radially from both sides of its axis, and means for turning the blades through substantially 90 about their longitudinal axes each time the plate has turned through substantially 180, so that the blades are on their flats during one half of each revolution of the plate, and on edge during the other half of each revolution.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a simple means for turning the rotary plates of a plurality of such attachments simultaneously.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such an attachment with means for adjusting the angular position of the rotating plate when the rotation of the blades occurs, and for making such adjustment simultaneously on a plurality of attachments mounted on a plane.

Having thus broadly and briefly outlined some of the major objects and advantages of the invention I will now proceed to describe an embodiment thereof with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a plan View of my attachment extending outwardly from one'side of a fuselage.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 but ignoring the rotary plate.

Figure 4 is a further enlarged section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Serial No. 567,450.

Figure 5 is an enlarged end View of Fig ure 3. V

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a conventional aeroplane equipped with my attach ment, and v Figure 7 is an enlarged section on the line 7-7 of Figure 6 showing a preferredoperating' and adjusting means for an aeroplane thus equipped.

Figure 8 is a front elevation of the attachment.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a frame which may be of preferred form of construction andhas its inner side 2 suitably secured to the fuselage 3 of an aeroplane so that the said frame projects outwardly therefrom in a substantially horizontal position.

On the inner and outer sides-2 and 4: of the frame 1 bearings 5 are provided to support a spindle 6 which projects substantially at right anglesto and inwardly through the adjacent side of the fuselage-3. The spindle 6' normally remains stationary though it may, when desired, be turned to a limited extent by means hereinafterdescribed. Revolvably mounted on the spindle 6: substantially centrally between the bearings 5 is a rotary plate 7. From the latter adjacent its extremities suitably braced arms 8 project from both its sides. Extending through apertures formed in the plate 7 one on each side of its axis and suitably secured to the said plate are guides 9 which are substantially parallel both with the spindle 6 and the arms 8'.

Fixed on the spindle 6 one on each side of the rotary plate 7 are'cams 10 the operating surfaces of which are inwardly disposed towards one another. A sleeve 11 is revolvably mounted on the spindle 6 and extends between the bearing 5 on the inner side 2 of the frame and the cam 10 adjacent thereto. Fixed on the sleeve 11 is a gear 12 which meshes with a. second gear 14 on a drive shaft 15. The latter, which is preferably supported by a bearing 16' integral with the frame 1, extends inwardly through the fuselage 3. On the extremity of the sleeve 11 remote from the gear 12 suitable means are furnished for turning the rotary plate 7 when the said sleeve revolves. In the present instance a cup-shaped connection 17 is secured around the said sleeve having projections 17a which extend over one of the cams 10 and are suitably secured to the said rotary plate 7. r

In each guidey9 a pair of opposed rack members 18 are provided which are held in correct spaced relation to one another at their extremities by tie members 19 and substantially centrally of their length by a spacer 20. Projecting laterally inwards from each of the said spacers 20 are a pair of pins 21 having rollers 22 mounted thereon which. bear against the operating faces of the cams l0.

- Between each guide 9 and its adjacent arm 8 a plurality of blades 23 are arranged which have circular extremities rotatably supported by the, said guides and arms. 7 The blades are so arranged that when all of them on one side of the axis of the rotaryplate 7 lie substantially parallel with-one another they present-a substantially continuous surface. On each blade extremity which proj ects through one of the guides 9 a pinion 24 is provided 7 which meshes with the teeth ,of:one of the rack members 18. The rack members '18, a pair of which are longitudinally slidab'le in each guide 9 -as already stated,areso provided with teeth that the gears2 l-on .one side of the rotary plate 7 are engaged by one rack member and the gears on the opposite side of the said plate by the other rack member. Thus when; the rack members in one guide are moved the blades 23 on one side of theplate 7 7 turn in one direction and those on the other side of the said plate turnin the opposite direction.

r v The opposed operating faces of the cams 10 j are formed similarly to, one another and are so mounted on the spindle 6 that the distance betweenthe opposed faces is constant around their whole diameter. So as the plate? turns vabout the spindle 6'the opposed pairs'of rollers 22remain in contact with the operating surfaces, of the cams 10 .by which'the rack members 18. are moved backandforth in their guides 91 Moreover the arrangement is such that as the blades 23 on one sideof the spin- '"dle 6 are moved into their" on edge position, j, that is with their widths parallel with the .rotary plate 7, the blades on the'o'their side of the spindle 6 are moved so as to be on their'flats that is at right angles tosaid rotary plat'el From Figures 6 an d 7 it will be seen how I prefer to mount my attachments onan aeroplane and how the attachmentsv oil-opposite sides ofthe plane are operated and controlled.

- I prefer that the attachments be mounted on the fuselage in advance of the wings30 and relatively high on the sides of the fuselage The drive shafts 15 in the present instance extend transversely ;of

the fuselage and terminate in couplings 31 by which they are connected to opposite ends of the shaft of a motor 32, which is supported on a bracket 33. On the spindles 6 which, in the present instance, are connected at their adjacent extremities by couplings 34, limited rotary movement to a limited extent is obtainable in order that the angular position of the blades may be varied when they are turned from their on edge to their on their flats position. This is accomplished by providing an arm 35 on one of the spindles 6 to which a rod 36 is pivotally connected, sothat by moving the latter back and forth the spindles are rotated.

. From the foregoing it is believed'th'atthe operation of the invention will be readily understood. The motor 32- turns the sleeve 11 through the' gears 14 and 12, and the said sleeve through the connection 17 turns th'erobodiment ofthe invention has been describedand shown, it is understood that the construction is susceptible to such alterations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims, a V Y YVhat I claim is: 1. An aeroplane attachment comprising a frame. adapted to be attached to the side of an aeroplane fuselage, a spindle mounted on said frame, a plate rotatable on said spindle, means for-rotating said plate about said spindle, arms projecting from said plateadjacent its extremities, guides extending transversely through, said plate and supported thereby adjacent the plate axis, blades each having one extremity supported by. one of said arms and its other extremity, by one of said guides, and means for turning all the blades through substantially 90 each time the plate has turnedthrough 180;

2. An aeroplane attachment comprising the combination described in claim 1 wherein means are provided for varying the angular position of the rotary plate when the blades are turned.

3. An aeroplane attachment comprising a frame adapted to be attached to the side of an aeroplane, a spindle mounted} on said frame, a plate rotatable on said spindle, a sleeverotatable on said spindle, a driving shaft supported by said "frame, means .for

t is found that the attachturning said sleeve when said driving shaft is turned, means for turning said plate when the sleeve is turned, arms extending from said plate adjacent its extremities, guides extending transversely of the plate and supported thereby adjacent the plate axis, blades each having one extremity supported by one of said arms and its other extremity by one of said guides, and means for turning all said blades through substantially 90 each time the plate has been turned through 180, the blades on one side of the plate axis being disposed, when at rest, at right angles to the blades on the other side of the plate axis.

4. An aeroplane attachment comprising a frame adapted to be attached to the side of an aeroplane fuselage, a spindle mounted on said frame, a plate rotatable on said spindle, fixed cams on said spindle, arms projecting laterally from said plate extremities, guides supported by said plate and projecting laterally therethrough adjacent its axis, blades each rotatably supported by one arm and one guide, rack members slidable in said guides, pinions on said blade extremities engaging said rack members, and rollers carried by said rack members in engagement With said cams which are so formed that each time the rotary plate has turned through a predetermined angle the blades are turned on their axes.

5. An aeroplane attachment comprising the combination as described in claim 4 wherein means are provided for turning the spindle so that the angular position of the rotary plate when the blades are turned may be varied.

6. In an aeroplane attachment the combination of a fuselage, a motor therein, opposed drive shafts projecting through the sides of the fuselage, means for rotating said drive shafts from said motor, frames on the outer sides of said fuselage, spindles supported by said frames, common means Within said fuselage for rotating said spindles, plates rotatable on said spindles, means for turning said plates as said drive shafts are rotated, arms extending from said plates adjacent their extremities, guides extending transversely of said plates and supported thereby adjacent the plate axes, blades each having one extremity supported by one of said arms and its other extremity supported by one of said guides, and means for turning all of said plates through substantially 90 each time the plates have been turned through 180.

7. In an aeroplane attachment the combination of a fuselage, a motor therein, opposed driving shafts projecting through 0pposite sides of the fuselage, means for rotating said shafts from said motor, frames on the outer sides of said fuselage, spindles supported by said frames, common means Within the fuselage for rotating the spindles, a rotary plate on each spindle, means for turning said plates by the rotation of said drive shafts, fixed cams on said spindles, arms projecting laterally from said plate extremities, guides supported by said plates and projecting laterally therethrough adjacent their axes, blades each rotatably supported by one arm and one guide, rack members slidable in said guides, pinions on the blade extremities engaging said rack members, and rollers carried by said rack members in engagement With said cams Which are so formed that each time the rotary plates have turned through a predetermined angle the blades are turned.

8. An aeroplane attachment comprising a frame adapted to be mounted on one side of an aeroplane, a spindle mounted on said frame, a plate rotatable on said spindle, means for rotating said plates about said spindle, arms projecting from said plate adjacent its extremities, guides supported by said plate adjacent the plate axis, blades each having one extremity supported by one of said arms and its opposite extremity by one of the guides, and means turning all the blades about their axes from one position to another and back to their initial positions again during each revolution of said plate. JOHN GROBLING. 

